A police officer was on bike patrol when he witnessed teens involved in an armed robbery

Authorities said after police approached, the teens, one boy and four girls, ranging in ages from 14 to 17, took off in a stolen van.

The driver of the van then struck an officer, police said. The officer was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle and then to the ground.

The office heard one teen yell, “Get him,” and that’s when the officer grabbed his gun and started shooting at the van’s tires.

The teens crashed the van nearby and were arrested by police.

The officer who got hit is expected to be OK but Police Chief Ed Flynn said this kind of crime involving young teens is on the rise in Milwaukee and it needs to stop.

Data analyzed this summer has showed an increase in stealing vehicles.

"It's dangerous -- they can kill people running from the police, they could have killed that officer, they could have been killed themselves in an accident,” Flynn said. “it's a bad trend and one we're going to need community and parental help with.”

ARRESTS. A GROUP OF TEENS ON A CRIME SPREE NEARLY RUN DOWN A MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICER. IT HAPPENED ON THE NORTH SIDE AT BOOTH AND BURLEIGH. WISN 12 NEWS' MAX SEIGLE IS LIVE AT POLICE DISTRICT FIVE. AND MAX, THE OFFICER GOT THROWN ON TO THE HOOD AND THEN TO THE GROUND. HE WAS. I AM TOLD THAT POLICE OFFICER WAS ACTUALLY ON BICYCLE PATROL. HE CAME ACROSS UNARMED ROBBERY. THAT HAPPENED LATE LAST NIGHT. IT WAS CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT. THE LYCÉE FIVE TEENS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS. THEY RANGE IN AGE FROM 14 YEARS OLD TO 17 YEARS OLD. AFTER THE TWO OFFICERS APPROACHED, THE TEENS TOOK OFF IN A STOLEN VAN, WITH THE DRIVER HITTING ONE OF THE OFFICERS. THE OFFICER HEARD ONE TEEN YELL, GET HIM. THAT IS WHEN THE OFFICER STARTED SHOOTING AT THE VANS TIRES. THE TEENS CRASH NEARBY. THEY ALL GOT ARRESTED. TONIGHT, POLICE CHIEF ED FLYNN SAYS THIS KIND OF CRIME INVOLVING YOUNG TEENS IS ON THE RISE IN MILWAUKEE. IT NEEDS TO STOP. IT IS DANGEROUS. THEY CAN KILL PEOPLE RUNNING FROM THE POLICE. THEY COULD KILL THAT OFFICER. THEY COULD'VE BEEN KILLED THEMSELVES IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS A BAD TREND AND IT IS A TREND THAT WE WILL NEED THE COMMUNITY AND PARENTAL HELP WITH. THAT SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RUNNING SOME DATA THE SUMMER. IT SHOWS MORE AND MORE TEENS STEALING CARS IN MILWAUKEE.